Lotus Tribute Car

Hey @Eric H .

I've had a 2009 S260 since 2020 so I can probably relate. I also spent some time in a 311.

The Rush is a lot more like the S2 platform than the S3, probably even more like the S1 which I have not driven. It is sharp, responsive, very low, and in my opinion easier to drive. Like the Elige platform, it's mid-engined, but unlike it, it's a lot less likely to come around on you unexpectedly. Interestingly, the more oversteery you make the Rush platform, the less likely it is to unexpectedly spin, because you quickly learn to feel the edge of traction and correct. Power on to recover oversteer or you can even lock the wheels with hard braking and keep it straight.

The rack is very quick, quicker than on an Elige. It is fully manual, so it is a bit more difficult to turn than a street car but gets easier at speed. It is still a workout. I like it a lot. Like running a sim at higher force feedback levels, this gives you more feel and control.

Rotation aggressiveness is really a function of the setup. Out of the box, it is understeery. This is good for new drivers. But soften up the front, harden the rear, put a competition splitter on it, and you'll be rotating as fast as you want. It responds incredibly well to trail braking. Since you can left foot brake, it's easy to brush the brakes and get extra rotation - even when on full throttle. This was very helpful at Lime Rock Park around 2 and 7. You can also get extra rotation by keeping the revs high. See how Blair does this here.

Braking is very good. It takes some work to get all four to lock simultaneously, and it depends on your setup. We see some of our faster drivers running full front bias and even some slightly more aggressive pads on the front.

Curbs are rough. You learn which ones you can handle. Generally, whatever would upset an Elige will upset this too. But you're not necessarily going to spin because of it. I hit the inner curbs a few times on 6 at LRP this last weekend and while it got me some air, it didn't hurt more than my pride.

It's loud inside. Wear earplugs.

Mental load is reduced over an Elige. The visibility is miles better due to the open cockpit, and the paddleshift means you're not spending effort heel-toeing when you could be hitting your marks instead. It's easy to shift 3x/second, perfectly.

Maintenance is easier. There are more maintenance items (like the chain), but they are supremely easy to get at. Being able to take off the body without tools is sublime. The car is so short with the panels off that it is incredibly easy to load on and off a trailer. You can lift the front end off the ground and pivot it.

While my S260 had the same power/weight as the Rush, I was immediately faster in the Rush. I eventually became > 10sec faster at Palmer, hitting a 1:42 when my best ever in the Exige was approx 1:53. Some of that was experience, of course. I haven't tracked the Exige in a while. It feels silly in comparison.

In terms of what I miss from the Lotus, it still is fun to drive a stick from time to time. It vibrates less and it's quieter. You can drive it on the road or take a passenger. The ability to take a passenger is probably the thing I miss most - it's so much fun around the circuit, I want to show people!
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What are you driving?

Hi all,
Original 2008 Exige S240 owner. Last month just started to absorb knowledge about Rush. Thinking about retiring the Lotus (which I LOVE) from HPDE duty.
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Lotus Tribute Car

Hi All - maybe I haven’t found it but before I finally get time to schedule a test drive I have been trying to find any descriptions regarding the driving dynamics of the Rush.
I finally then stumbled on this thread of fellow Lotus owners!!
I have tracked my 2008 Exige since new. I really love it but with its (ha, and my) age it is becoming increasingly more effort/time and money to maintain. The Rush on paper seems to check many of the boxes I am looking for to perhaps retire my Exige from primary HPDE track duty.
I would love it if someone could try to convey how a Rush drives as compared to a Exige/Elise or even 211.
Maybe hard to do? I know setup plays a large part. Does it rotate more/less aggressively? Trail breaking behavior? Power off or on to rotate? Power on or neutral to recover oversteer? Is braking more or less stable? How does it handle curbs? Basically is it possible to describe the differences you noticed. Anything that you miss from the Lotus?
Did someone already discuss this and I just haven’t found the tread (pointer please!)?
Thanks all! I hope to get a test drive booked soon!

Hello from a lurker

This looks perfect. Can I ask how you modified it?
Of course. Some context might help: I thought I was buying a 13’ trailer, but when I got it back to Texas I discovered it was only 10’ and the Lotus I had at the time wouldn’t fit with the stone guard in place. So 3 mods:

First, remove the stone guard.

Second, this 10’ Futura is narrower than the standard single axle — it’s actually intend for motorcycles or similar short wheelbase vehicles. To use the tire rack I had to cut the horizontal rails down about 4 inches. I mounted it to the outside of the side rails instead of inside to maximize the available width.

Third, the more significant mod was the winch location because the objective is to get the front wheels against the front edge of the trailer bed, the rear wheels obviously on the trailer bed, and the nose forward. Instead of using the standard Futura “winch on a square pole” I mounted a triangular plate at the tongue and permanently mounted the winch there just behind the front tricycle wheel/post. I use a plastic shoe box with bungee cords to cover the winch if left outside & exposed to weather.

The only issues with this configuration are that the front splitter will not clear the front edge of the trailer bed and that the winch cable will press on the front bodywork as the car is drawn closer using the roll bar with an axle loop hooked to the winch cable. These problems can solved by putting some 2X6 forward so the splitter clears the rail and either raising the winch on the tongue triangle, or literally holding the cable away from the bodywork. The other, option is to load the Rush backwards using the rear tow hook. This is the approach I prefer — it’s easier to load and strap down the car. Just remember to tape down your fuel filler cap as the wind will pull it up! I can provide pictures if helpful. This may all be irrelevant however as I don’t think the Fuitura 10’ trailer is available anymore in the US.

Hello from a lurker

I use a slightlily modified Futura 10’ single axle motorcycle trailer. It’s not enclosed, but it fits easily in a standard garage bay, can be moved by hand, and at about 2100 car/trailer total weight, it tows like a dream. I load backward since there’s no front tow ring and due to winch location near hitch, the cable presses on the front body work if I try to winch with the roll bar & axle strap approach. Car is so light it doesn’t put much weight on tongue. I also use RaceRamp extenders to help with clearance for the splitter. I may remove the tire rack as I really don’t need an extra set of tries for the type of track use I do these days. My tow vehicle is a Jag F-Pace SVR — overkill, but if the Rush has an issue I can always take the Jag out on the track!

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This looks perfect. Can I ask how you modified it?

For Sale - Configure Now - Nov Delivery

We are the Rush dealer in Northern New England. We have 2 cars coming in late Oct/early November. These can be custom configured up until production starts, approximately mid-Sept. Email me and get a car without waiting for the 10-12 month build cycle! susie.leiper@gmail.com
Beat the price increase - still have cars coming in November at 2024 prices! We will be at Lime Rock this weekend. Come see us!

Best Helmet Cam: Insta360 Go3

At Bret's urging, I picked up one of these, an Insta360 Go3:

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The little pod comes out and has its own battery and storage. All you need to do is mount it to your helmet with the little clip mount. You don't need anything other than the clip.

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That's it! It stays on easily with the visor closed (it's stable enough when open, too) and lasts long enough to run a race. In the pic it's a bit cockeyed because I had just put the helmet down.

If you already have a GoPro mount on your helmet, this works nicely.

I haven't run the new Go3S but the Go3 is plenty good enough. I think 4K video is overkill, but I would bet the new version is better on battery at 2.7K resolution.

You can easily then overlay some RaceRender footage:

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I have to say, the point of view and video quality is really fantastic. I've tried GoPros mounted on the side, visor, and chin. All produce too much drag. I can't feel the Go3 on my helmet at all. In my opinion, everything except the visor mount makes bad video. I've seen some where you can't see above the steering wheel!

In-helmet systems like the CamBox are good too, but tend to get blurry because of the visor. I don't think they'll fit in an ABP helmet, and I know a lot of yall run that. They do produce better audio. You can cut a little piece of foam and cover the microphone with it, it helps with the wind noise a marginal amount.

I've seen at least one driver mount the base unit in the car using a sticky 3M GoPro mount and adapter. You could then easily wire it into power using a 12V->USBC buck converter. This is probably the most convenient setup, not least of which because you can easily see if you're recording or not!
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